The intent of the evening was to discuss cultural relevance in design and innovation, all while enjoying great food and mixers by the Latino Culinary Institute. As our guest of honor, Miguel Roldan discussed his ideas and projects, which are very exciting and interesting – particularly because he evokes a feeling of relevance. By that I mean that each work tends to go further beyond the programmatic function of the building. There is an essence that the project wants to engage with its place and its people. Whether we are talking about the dynamics of how economical means of construction offer unique opportunities, to substantive ideas of encouraging cultural trends in society.

During our discussions at the Latino Cultural center, some of the topics were general in nature, but there were particular questions that generated great debate and even questioned our profession. There is something to be said about architecture that is innovative because of its use of material and its unique interpretation of space, but when you design for a deeply rooted culture - how do you advance architecture? How do you translate tradition and customs into our contemporary world and through what language? Words like sophisticated, strategy and performance may not be so fitting when in essence some people just want what they have known and experienced for all their life – whether that is a preference of color, material or space arrangement. And to this we answered YES! Yes Architecture can respond and adapt culture to our changing environment, but understanding how this can be done has to go beyond textbooks and Google searches. We must avoid, in a subliminal or subconscious manner, our intuitive desire to drive projects in any one direction; we must engage and become entangled in order to express culturally significant Architecture.

I love to travel, I have been to many places in Europe, Asia and the Americas. One of my dearest
memories, is of my Grandpa’s town in the Mountainous regions of Chihuahua, Mexico. There, a small
village can only be accessed through a small winding, unpaved road. Dangerous you might say? Yes! But
genuine and unique to the way people live there. As you enter the ranch, you access a different world. Many houses are still made of Adobe Clay bricks and timber, there are no paved roadways, and everyone in the town knows each other. My Grandpa’s house sits atop a hill overlooking the town, and a rock trail from the house leads you to a crystal-clear stream just 200 feet away. The air is fresh and the sun embraces you with light and warmth. There is something very innocent about this place that words and actions such as “innovation”, “progress”, “technology” are a detriment to its very existence.

Denoting the importance of this anecdote, it is hard to conceive that Architecture become so worldly that we are in essence creating a homogenous language across the world. I do not believe we want society to be defined, in a way, by global expectations and a certain architectural language, which in case devalue the richness of context. When we visit places across the globe, we expect a unique experience, at least different than what we see at home. In places where there is great economic advancement, it will be crucial to take a moment of reflection and contemplation.

Simply said, culture in architecture is relevant. It is not about googling context and typing in the country's history in the web. It is about connecting with people, understanding customs and tradition.

Some values are just intangible and some architecture aspects of culture, like great family recipes, are passed down from generations. We must tap into this to enhance and promote our identity as a society and individuals.

You Might Also Like

1 comments

I am Mariam used every single spell worker on the internet, spent untold amounts of money and discovered they are all fakes...i was the fool though; doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. In the end, I decided that I wanted a tarot reading to know what my future held for me; I contacted a woman who lives locally to me and she told me about a man named (Priests Abija); he does not advertise on the internet, has another job for income, has no set prices, makes no false promises and refuses to help anyone that cannot be helped and even helps for free sometimes, he will give you proof before taking money. He is a wonderful man and he was the only person who actually gave me real results. I really hope he doesn't mind me advertising his contact on the internet but I'm sure any help/ extra work will benefit him.contact him here as +447053820826 or spirituallighthealing101@live.com He travel sometimes.i cant give out his number cos he told me he don’t want to be disturbed by many people across the world..he said his email is okay and he’ will replied to any emails asap,love marriage,finance, job promotion ,lottery Voodoo,poker voodoo,golf Voodoo,Law & Court case Spells,money voodoo,weigh loss voodoo,any sicknesses voodoo,Trouble in marriage,HIV AIDS,it's all he does Hope this helps everyone that is in a desperate situation as I once was; I know how it feels to hold onto something and never have a chance to move on because of the false promises and then to feel trapped in wanting somethingmore.

Chair and Vice Chair

The mission of the AIA Dallas Latinos in Architecture Committee, is to serve and support our local communities, strengthen relationships and networks between professionals in the field of Architecture, and promote their projects in our communities.
We will also work to be a positive influence for Latino students aspiring to become Architects, by finding opportunities to volunteer and get involved in community issues, providing guidance and expertise and participating in mentoring programs.